24-hour Read-A-Thon end-of-event meme

This is a bit delayed, as the read-a-thon officially ended at 8pm (Philippine time) last night, but my internet was on the fritz for the weekend and I couldn’t even post a midway update.

It was a tough weekend for me as I was up late the night before working on a painting, and then I was out all day for several meetings (I had to read through one of them) until I got home past midnight.  And then I was going to update, but found out I didn’t have an internet connection at home!

I’d like to thank all those who dropped by to wish me well on the reading, though, even though I didn’t have any updates posted. Cheers to all the readers and cheerleaders, and hope to see you again on the next read-a-thon!

Here’s my end-of-event meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

Hour 5, as it was around 1am here and I couldn’t stay awake to save my life… I’d come from a dinner meeting with some book club friends and I’d started reading then, but even coffee couldn’t do it, and I predicted right — I couldn’t pull an all-nighter. I will one day, though. Maybe the next read-a-thon.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

I read some graphic novels and manga this year, I think those are a great choice for read-a-thons, as the visual interest keeps you going. So I recommend the Tintin books, light manga like Doraemon or Kitchen Princess or Ranma 1/2, and thin graphic novels.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

I think I want to get some of my book club friends together to have a Read-a-thon, and get some local companies to support us so we can raise money for books for charity.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

As always — the spirit of fun and community that’s present among Read-a-thoners!

5. How many books did you read?

I targeted 10 after finishing 9 last readathon, and I managed to do it, with a slight revision. I was supposed to read Albert Camus’ The Stranger but I’d already started Kate Cary’s Bloodline so I decided to scrap two books out of the list and use one of the standbys.

6. What were the names of the books you read?

Just two books off my initial list, and one standby in place.  Here’s my list, in the order I read the books:

• Bloodline by Kate Cary (at Teriyaki Boy, Greenhills)
• Trese vol. 1 by Budgette Tan and Kadjo Baldisimo (graphic novel)
• Trese vol. 2 by Budgette Tan and Kadjo Baldisimo (graphic novel)

• Roles by Siege Malvar (YA)

• Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl (children’s book)
• The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl (children’s book)
• Esio Trot by Roald Dahl (children’s book)

• Fruits Basket 1 by Natsuki Takaya (manga)

• How to Insult and Abuse in Classical Latin by Michelle Lovric (novelty book)

• Vampyre by Cornelius Van Helsing and Gustav de Wolff (novelty book)

(Full reviews later on this blog)

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

I enjoyed Vampyre the most, as it was very interactive, with a lot of interlocking pieces and a great storyline

8. Which did you enjoy least?

Maybe Fruits Basket, as it was hard to get into — I had no background on the storyline and it was confusing for a bit; also it appeared to be longer than other manga I read, although that could just be because I was sleepy again by the time I read it.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

Cheer on as many Readers as you can — it does help!

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

I want to be a reader again, and to read for a full 24 hours!

Cheers to all read-a-thoners and congratulations! And to Dewey, who started this tradition, your spirit lives on in all the read-a-thoners!